Condenser-tube-cleaning apparatus.



W. HOOPES.

CONDENSER TUBE CLEANING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 6, 1915- 1,172,798. Patented Feb. 22, 1916. I 2SHEETS$HEET l- //V VE N 70/? a o A u 4 \f o :in 5. I 6:. w W, iY\\\\\\Ya\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ h\\\\\\\\WITNESSES M A M THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0.. WASHINGTON. n. c.

W. HOOPES.

CONDENSER TUBE CLEANING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 6,19I5.

Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

Z SHEETSSHEET 2.

I/VI/ENTOR THE COLUMBIA PLANOORAY'H 430., WASHINGTON, D. c.

{STATES PATENT-OFFICE.

WILLIAM rroorns, or rrr'rssunen, PENNSYLVANIA;

' CONDENSER-TUBE CIiEANING APrARa'rUs,

To all aokom it concern State of "Pennsylvania, have invented anImprovement in Condenser-Tube cleaning of whichythefollowing is aApparatus,

specification. 7

My present invention relates toapparatus for. cleaning condenser tubes,and particularly the 'tubesof surface condensers,

through which, as is well known in the art,

waterfor-other fluid is made to circulate order to condense the steam,whlch s caused I to enter the bodyof the condenserand come intocontactwiththe outer surface of-the tubes; 1-

, Various devices; including rods, "brushes,

and similar articles, have heretofore been employed for cleaning thetubes of surface condensers, -but;so far as I am aware, in the use ofall such devices 1t has been necessary-,to open-one or both ends of acondenserin order to gain access to the tubes. Now, the object of mypresent invention is the provision of an apparatus built as an.

integral part of. the condenser,and which maybe utilized, whennecessary, for cleaning'the condensertubes. I v

,In carrying out my invention, I 'prefer;

ably employ, in combination with the water box,..ordinarily employedwith; surface: con-' densers, a movable-member, which is ad- .justable;to position within the water box,'

and through and by which a suitable fluid,

for example, water, steam orcompressed, any-under pressure, maybelIlJBCtBd'-,1Ilt0 and forced through the condenser tubes to clean thesame. t I

.t Furthermore, my invention also includes means for suitably actuatingthis adjustable member from the exterior of theapparatus,

all of; which will be hereinafter m PM? ticularly described. c

the drawing, '-Figure l is a vertical cross section taken approximatelythrough theF- center of a condenser, water box fitted with my improvedtube cleaningapparatus; Fig. 2 isa transverse cross sectlon, and F g; r3 is a partial cross section and elevation taken .at right angles to theposition ofthe parts as shown in'Fig; 1. 1

--In "the drawing, 10 indicates I I denser body or shell, only a portionof which is 'ill-ustrated, but as will be; understood;

surface condenser art. NVithin the water is provided with a bonnethaving a parti- .Specificat ion of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. 22,1916. Application filed April 9,1915, Serial No. 1 9,483

I I this is the usual surface condenser body-' if v Be it known that I,,WnlLIAMiHooPEs, av citizen of the United'S tates, residing atPittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and their: respective ends in thetube I tion plate fordirecting the fiowof the circulating water, and-atthe other end with a water box, through which the circulating waterpasses from, one bank of tubesto the: other, ,In' the drawing, thiswater box is indicated at 13, and is provided with a cover 1% toclose-the otherwise open end thereof. The parts -to which reference hashereinbeforewbeen made are all old in the,

130x13 I employanadjustable hollow head,

indicated at: i The nds'16 or this 1101-] low headare"grooveddongitudinally, asl' shown at 17 in order to receive-guidebars 18 fixed in the inner-side walls of! the water box by meanso'fzscrewsoribolts 19,111 order that by the apparatus'hereinafter described, the hollow head 15' may be moved vertically to any desiredposition within the water box. .Therespectiveends of the hollow head15316' also provided with tap,

ped bores 20'p'as'sing longitudinally there-' 7 through, and adapted to7 receive screw rods' 211' The upperiend of-each screw rod 21 isswiveled in the bearing cap "22, fixed on the top of the water box. Thelower ends of the rods 21 pass through and turn in tapped caps 23, fixedin the bottom ,ofithe: I

water box, and ;exteriorly'thereof each rod] 21, at' its lower-fend, isfitted with a worm wheel 24'. I-also employ a shaft 25, mount} edfin'bearings 26, carried by hangersor' brackets 27 secured to anddependingfrom the bottom of the water box. In suitable positions, theshaft is fitted with worms or endless screws 28, meshing respectivelywith the worm wheels 24; The shaft "25', by a coupling 29, may .beconnected to a motor 30, orother actuating apparatus, by which, whencausing the'shaft to turn in the required direction, the screw threadedrods 21 maybe turned'to either raise or lower the hollow head. 15. l I 7-As,-, is customary. in surface condensers, the tubes are preferablyfixed in the tubethe tubes, I prefer to employ a plurality of nozzles31, also fixed in a staggered relationship on that side of the hollowhead adjacent the ends of the tubes, in order that when the hollow headis properly placed, each nozzle 31 will be in alinement with a condensertube.

In-order to convey asuitable fluid under pressure to the hollow head 15,I employ a pipe 32, which, at one end, extends through an openingprovided therefor in the bottom of the hollow head and is secured inplace relatively thereto by having a flange 33, which is received in arecess provided therefor in a boss on the under side oi the hollow head,together with a collar plate 34, which fits over the pipe 32 and may besecured in position on the said boss by bolts 35, or otherwise. The pipe32 extends through a suitable stuffing box 36, in the bot-- tom of thewater box, and exteriorly, thereof i i is provided with a handle 37, orother means,

by which the pipe may be turned.

lVithin' the hollow head 15 the pipe 32 is provided with a port'38,which, as shown in the drawing, is substantially semi-circumferential inextent, in order, as will be appreciated, to enablethe operator todirect the fluid under pressure to either one side or the other of thehollow head or simultaneously to both sides thereof. At its outer end,the pipe 32 may be fitted with a suitable screw-thread 39, forattachment to a coupling or other means by which the same may beconnected to a suitable source of water or other fluid under pressure.

It is to be understood that while I have.

illustrated a hollow head adjustable vertically within the water box ofthe condenser, that the same may be adjustable horizontally, and that ineither event any suitable mechanism may be employed exteriorly of thecondenser for adjusting the hollow head:

to position in the water box without departing from the nature-or spiritof my invention, and also that my invention is applicable to surfacecondensers which are circular in cross section, as well as. to thosewhich are rectangular in cross section, as herein shown and described.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a surface condenser and in combination, a water box, an injectorhead adjustable to position within the water box and having a pluralityof openings therein adapted to register with the tubes of theCOIIClGIlSBIQfiDClJI pipe fixed atone end in the said injector head andadapted toturn therein, the said pipe passing through the body of thewater box so as to supply a fluid under pressure thereto from. theexterior of the condenser.

2. In a surface condenser and in cornbina-' tion,. a water box, aninjector head adjustable to position within thewater box, a plu-v ralityof nozzles fixed in and extending from one-side of said injector headand adapted to reglster with predetermined tubes of the condenser,guides within the water box and in which the injector head is movable inbeing adjusted to position,anda pipe fixed at one end in said injectorhead and adapted to turn therein, .the said pipe passing through thebody ofthewater box soas to V supply the fluid under pressurethereto-from theexterior of the condenser.

3. Ina surface condenser and in combination, a water box, an", injectorhead therein,

guides within the waterbox and, on which the said in ector head ismovable, means operated exteriorly of the wateri'box for determining theposition of the injector head tubes of the condenser, and a pipefixed atoneend in said injector head and adapted to turn therein, the said pipehaving a port inthat portion thereof that lies withinthe in ector headand which, exterior of the injector head, passes through theobody "ofpressure thereto from the exterior of the the water box so as to-supplya fluid under condenser.- V

4. In a surface condenser and in combination, a water box, an ln ectorhead ad ustable to position within the water box, guidesv in which thesaid-injector head is movable within the water box, a plurality of.noz-' zles fixed in one side of the said *injector so I head in astaggered relationship correspond ing to the positionsof the adjacentrows of condenser tubes, screw-threaded rodspassa ing through theopposite ends of the said injector head and adapted to turn in} the bodyof the water-box, means exteriorly of the water box for turning the saidrods-toraise and lower the said injector head, and

means for'supplying a fluid under pressure" to the said injector head. v7

5. In a surface condenser and in combination, a water box,an.injectorhead adjust? able to position within the water box, guides in which thesaidi'injector'head is movable within the water box, a plurality ofnozzles fixed in one side of the said injectorhead' in a staggeredrelationship corresponding to the positions of the adjacent rows ofcondenser tubes, screw-threaded rods passing a through the opposite endsof the said injector headand adapted to turn in the bodyof the waterbox, means exteriorly of thewater box for turning the said rods to raiseand lower the said injector head, a worm wheel attached .to each of thesaid rodsex: teriorly of the. waterbox, a shaft, Worms thereon meshingwith the said worm wheels,

means for turning the said shaft, and means for supplying a liquid underpressure to the interior of the said injector head.

6. In a surface condenser, and in combinat1on,a Water box, an in ectorhead adjustable to position ithin the Water box, means box so as tosupply a fluid under pressure thereto from the exterior of thecondenser.

7. In a surface condenser and in combination, arwater box, an injectorhead adjustable to position Within the Water box, means Copies of thispatent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing theCommissioner of Patents,

operated exteriorly of the Water box for determiningrthe position of thesaid injector head, and a pipe extending into the said in- V jector headand provided therein Witha port-so that upon beingturned in thesaidinjector head, a fiuid under pressure sup,

plied to the said pipe, exteriorly of the condenser, may be directed toeither side of the injector headland alsoto both sides thereofsimultaneously. V Y

Signed by me this 24th day of March,

7 WILLIAM HOOPES.

Witnesses p EMMA UHLINGER,

WiLLIAM B. *WHARTQN.

Washington, D. G.

